Pictures show how Putin on Thursday carried out what is said to be a 30-minute long flight in a new and modernized Tu-160M plane. The plane can be equipped with strategic nuclear weapons that can be launched from a long distance. Within NATO, the aircraft model is called “Blackjacks”, reports Reuters. After the flight, Putin climbed down from a ladder to meet state-controlled and pro-regime media. – We are getting new machines and these machines are fantastic, they are really a new generation, Putin said, standing on the runway. Putin: Modernized almost our entire nuclear force Putin also stated that Russia has modernized 95 percent of its strategic nuclear force and that it recently received four new planes that go faster than the speed of sound and can carry nuclear weapons. The president also claimed that the fleet has been strengthened with a number of submarines. – We will continue to strengthen our army in every possible way, including through rearmament and modernization, Putin said. The statements were made the day before the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Putin called a “military special operation” on Friday. According to American CNBC, the flight and statements may have been made to send a signal to the West regarding Russia’s nuclear weapons capability. Has threatened with nuclear weapons in the past It is not the first time that Putin has shown off his nuclear weapons and his information has not been able to be confirmed by international assessors. Last fall, the president said that Russia is tasked with building a new world and accused Ukraine and the West of starting the war. He also repeated threats of nuclear weapons. – Not a single enemy will have a chance to survive, Putin said. Zelensky: He is afraid for his life Russia has also stated that it has placed tactical nuclear weapons in the neighboring country of Belarus. The announcement came this summer, but according to the US Secretary of State, there were no indications that Russia was preparing to use them. Even the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Russia would not dare to use them. – He will talk about using nuclear weapons but I don’t think he is ready to do it because he is afraid for his life, he loves it too much. But I can’t say that for sure, especially when it comes to a person with no connections to reality, who in the 21st century started a full-scale war against his neighbor, Zelenskyy said.
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